Chapter 15 With Their Voices
Not-Ezekiel awoke in an abandoned warehouse surrounded by Dean, Cas, Crowley, and Hope. The angel was tied to a chair with warded handcuffs and a metal bar across his forehead.
Dean spoke first. "Welcome to the party, pal. Cas, Hope, how we lookin'?"
"Most of Sam's internal burns have healed. I should be able to fix the rest." Castiel replied. Hope nodded her agreement. "What's your name? I thought I knew every angel in heaven, but I've never seen you."
"Why would I tell you anything?" the angel in Sam's body spat.
"Well, I don't give a damn who you are." Dean snapped. "You need to get out--now!"
"And if I don't?"
"Then you and I will have a lovely play date." Crowley smirked.
Not-Ezekiel scowled. "Even bound, I can rip this body apart. Tell them, Castiel."
"Not on my watch." Hope broke in, stepping up to stand in front of the angel. Sitting down he was only a little bit shorter than her. "I'm here to make sure Sammy's okay."
Not-Ezekiel didn't react, just turned to Dean. "If it makes you feel better, I have Sam locked away in a dream. As far as he knows, you're working a case right now; something with ghouls and cheerleaders."
"Why are you doing this, huh?" Dean asked. "We fought together. And I trusted you. I thought you were one of the good guys!"
The angel leveled him with a fierce glare. "I am doing what I have to do."
"Well, so am I." Dean spat back, trying to ignore the fact that it was Sam's eyes staring at him with such contempt.
"So am I." Crowley added in a tone that sounded more like he was doing what he wanted to do. The demon picked up a needle and plunged it into Not-Ezekiel's--and therefore Sam's--temple. The angel screamed in pain and Hope moved closer, standing next to his chair and watching like a hawk for any sign that Sam was in danger. Dean frowned and his eyes hardened as he glanced at his watch.
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Dean was having a hard time dealing with Sam's body being tortured, and it became increasingly evident as the hours wore on. Suddenly he couldn't handle it anymore. The hunter walked quickly away. Hope, still perched beside the screaming angel 's chair, shared a worried look with Castiel before he turned and quickly followed Dean.
"Hey." Cas said, rendered nearly speechless at the sight of Dean desperately trying to hold back tears. His green eyes were wide and red-rimmed.
"I can't watch that anymore."
Cas nodded. "I understand. It's not Sam, but...it's still Sam."
"Pretty much, yeah." Dean replied, his voice cracking. He had to think about something else, so he latched onto the first question he could come up with. "How are you doing?"
"You want to talk about me now?" the angel asked, surprised.
"I want to talk about anything that's not a demon sticking needles into my brother's brain." The response came out thin and watery. Dean looked out the window, trying to control the tears pooling in his eyes. "Yeah, humor me, man. How you doing?"
"Uh...I'm okay." Cas replied lamely.
Dean nodded anyway. "Good. Good. That's, uh...So, what, you just change the batteries out, power back up? It's that easy?" he asked.
Cas frowned slightly. "It wasn't easy but I didn't have a choice."
"Yeah. Well, that's usually how it goes." Dean said. After a moment he met Castiel's eyes. "Cas...I'm sorry."
"About what?"
"Kickin' you out of the bunker. That's, uh...You know, not telling you about Sam." Dean elaborated.
"You thought his life was at stake." Cas protested.
Dean shook his head sadly. "Yeah. I got played."
"I thought I was saving Heaven. I got played, too."
"So you're sayin' we're both a couple of dumbasses?" Dean asked with a weak smile.
Cas returned it. "I prefer the word 'trusting.' Less dumb. Less ass."
Crowley's voice from the other room interrupted them. "Laverne! Shirley! Get in here!"
Dean and Cas rushed back into the room. Hope caught Dean's eye questioningly and he gave her a small smile, silently telling her that he was okay. She returned her attention to Sam.
"Pinhead's out cold, but watch this." Crowley moved two of the needles stuck in the angel's left temple. He inhaled sharply and began speaking in a monotone, chant-like voice.
"Zir noco iad Gadreel. Zir noco iad Gadreel."
"What's he saying?" Dean asked.
"His name." Hope answered.
Castiel nodded. "Gadreel." He added angrily.
Dean shook his head. "Does that mean something to you?"
"Well, it's why I've never seen him." Cas explained. "He's been imprisoned since the dawn of time."
"Gadreel was the sentry who allowed Lucifer into the Garden." Hope added.
Crowley's eyes widened. "My, my. A celebrity."
"Wait, the garden?" Dean asked. "Like Eden-Adam-and-Eve-fig-leaves Garden?"
Castiel nodded. "It's his fault--all of it. The corruption of man, demons, Hell. God left because of him. The archangels--the apocalypse. If he hadn't been so weak, none of it would have happened." Fury exploded in Castiel's eyes and he began to shake Gadreel. "You ruined the universe, you damn son of a bitch!"
Dean pulled Cas off, swinging him around to face him. "Cas! Cas! Hey!"
"Dean, he-"
"I get it." Dean interrupted. "But you got to chill." He gave Cas a pointed look and the angel sighed, scowling but no longer shaking with rage. Dean looked over to Crowley who was still probing needles into Gadreel's head. "What's taking so long?" he asked.
"Other than the fact that I'm trying to unravel a living, multidimensional knot of pure energy, not much." Crowley snapped back.
Suddenly Gadreel gasped in a breath and opened his eyes. "It won't work." The angel said wrongfully. "You will never find your brother. Go ahead. Poke and prod. I can sit in this chair for years and watch you fail over and over again. I've endured much worse than this, Dean. So...much...worse." He emphasized each word. "And I have all the time in the world."
"Shut up!" Dean yelled. "All right. Plan B. Cas, Hope, one of you has got to possess him."
"What?" They asked in unison.
"Do it now! Get in there, tell Sam what's going on, and help him kick that lying son of a bitch out!" Dean said.
Castiel pursed his lips. "It might work. But I can't possess a vessel without permission."
"Neither can I." Hope agreed.
Crowley cleared his throat and raised his hand, volunteering.
"No. Not happening." Dean told him, shaking his head.
"Don't be daft." Crowley argued. "Demons can take what they want. I can burrow into that rat's nest of a head. I can wake Sam up. Just call me Plan C." He said with a smirk.
"You can't-" Cas started.
Dean interrupted him. "You got a better idea? Hope?" They both shook their heads. Dean turned to Crowley. "What about the angel?"
"I'll work fast."
"And if he finds you?" Dean asked.
"I'll run." Crowley said simply. "I'm not dying for you lot. Of course, if I do this, you're gonna have to..."
"Take off the leash. Yeah, I know." Dean muttered.
Crowley nodded. "And it stays off. I save Sam, I leave here a free man. Do we have a deal?"
Dean's face was a hard, unreadable mask. "Hope, burn off Sam's tattoo."
"Dean."
"Do it." He insisted. "Do it." Hope frowned, but walked over to Sam--Gadreel--and pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing his anti-possession tattoo. She removed it in a blaze of light. Dean turned to Crowley. "If you mess with Sam, if you try anything-" he warned.
"I keep my bargains." Crowley said, sounding a bit offended. "Besides, I don't want to be inside your brother any longer than I have to. I'm not one for sloppy seconds."
Dean nodded. "When you find him, say 'Poughkeepsie.'" he instructed. "It's our go word. It means 'drop everything and run.'"
"Fine. While I'm gone, hands off the suit."
"I will destroy you." Gadreel spat, glaring at Crowley.
The demon smirked. "Eat me." A cloud of red smoke flew out of his mouth and into the bound angel.